Vanessa M. Macias
University of North Texas
Biological Sciences
(940) 565-2599
Email:

Education

PhD, University of California, Irvine, 2015.
Major: Molecular Biology and Biochemistry
MS, New Mexico State University, 2010.
Major: Biology
BS, New Mexico State University, 2007.
Major: Microbiology

Professional Memberships

Society of Vector Ecology. (June 22, 2022 – Present).

Entomological Society of America. (March 1, 2016 – Present).

American Society for Tropical Medicine and Health. (March 1, 2013 – Present).

Graduate Women in Science. (March 1, 2013 – Present).

Development Activities Attended

Faculty Fellowship,"DC Fellows 2023-2024," UNT VPRI, Denton, TX, United States of America. (November 2023 – Present).

Self-Study Program,"Faculty First Flight 2021-2022," UNT Office of Faculty Success, Denton, TX, United States of America. (August 2021 – June 2022).

Teaching

Teaching Experience

University of North Texas
BIOC 5950, Master's Thesis, 3 courses.
BIOL 3770, Biotechnology, 3 courses.
BIOL 3996, Honors College Mentored Research Experience, 1 course.
BIOL 4460, Eukaryotic Genetics, 2 courses.
BIOL 4900, Special Problems, 2 courses.
BIOL 5460, Eukaryotic Genetics, 2 courses.
BIOL 6940, Individual Research, 5 courses.

Teaching at Other Institutions

The Pennsylvania State University, Spring 2017.

Directed Student Learning

Doctoral Advisory Committee Chair, Biological Sciences. (January 16, 2024 – Present).

Master's Thesis Committee Chair, Biological Sciences. (August 2023 – Present).

Master's Thesis Committee Chair, Biological Sciences. (September 2022 – Present).

Undergraduate Honors Thesis,"Exploring the microbial contribution to mosquito small RNA biology," Honors College. (September 2022 – Present).

Master's Thesis Committee Chair, Biological Sciences. (January 2022 – Present).

Supervised Research, Other - Outside UNT. (February 1, 2018 – June 1, 2021).

Supervised Research, Other - Outside UNT. (June 1, 2019 – June 1, 2020).

Undergraduate Honors Thesis, Other - Outside UNT. (September 1, 2017 – June 1, 2020).

Supervised Research, Other - Outside UNT. (November 1, 2019 – December 20, 2019).

Supervised Research, Other - Outside UNT. (September 1, 2016 – June 1, 2017).

Supervised Research, Other - Outside UNT. (September 1, 2014 – August 1, 2015).

Supervised Research, Other - Outside UNT. (September 1, 2013 – August 1, 2014).

Research

Published Intellectual Contributions

Book Chapter
Macias, V. M., James, A. A. (2023). Gene drive applications for mosquito control. Gene Drives and The Malaria Eradication Agenda. Jenny Standford Publishing. https://www.jennystanford.com/9789814968331/mosquito-gene-drives-and-the-malaria-eradication-agenda/
Tarradas, G., Macias, V., Peterson, H., McKeand, S., Crawczyk, G., Rasgon, J. L. (2022). Receptor-mediated ovary transduction of cargo (ReMOT control): a comprehensive review and detailed protocol for implementation. Transgenic Insects-Techniques and Applications. (Second), 125-148. Boston, MA: CABI. https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/book/10.1079/9781800621176.0000
Macias, V., James, A. A. (2014). Impact of genetic modification of vector populations on the malaria eradication agenda. Genetic control of malaria and dengue. 423-444.
Journal Article
Macias, V. M., Palatini, U., Bonizzoni, M., Rasgon, J. L. (2021). Lean into the Bite: The piRNA pathway as an exemplar for the Genetic Engineering need in mosquitoes. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2020.614342/full
Macias, V. M., Mc, S., Chaverra-Rodriguez, D., Hughes, G. L., Fazekas, A., Pujhari, S., Jasinkiene, N., Jamesa, A. A., Rasgon, J. L. (2020). Cas9-mediated gene-editing in the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi by ReMOT Control. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics.
Pujhari, S., Brustolin, M., Macias, V., Nissly, R., Nomura, M., Kuchipudi, S., Rasgon, J. L. (2019). Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) mediates Zika virus entry, replication, and egress from host cells. Emerging Microbes and Infections. 8(1), 8-16. Online: Taylor and Francis Online. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/22221751.2018.1557988
Chaverra-Rodriguez, D., Macias, V., Hughes, G. L., Pujhari, S., Suzuki, Y., Peterson, D., Kim, D., McKeand, S., Rasgon, J. L. (2018). Targeted delivery of CRISPR-associated endonuclease 9 (Cas9) into arthropod ovaries for heritable germline gene editing. Nature Communications. 9(3008), .
Macias, V., Ohm, J. R., Rasgon, J. L. (2017). Gene Drive for Mosquito Control: Where Did It Come from and Where Are We Headed?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 14, . MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/9/1006
Macias, V., Jimenez, A. J., Kojin, B. B., Pledger, D., Jasinkiene, N., Phong, C. H., Chu, K., Fazekas, A., Martin, K., Marinotti, O., James, A. A. (2017). nanos-driven expression of piggyBac transposase induces mobilization of a synthetic autonomous transposon in Anopheles stephensi.. Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096517481730098X
Gantz, V. M., Jasinskiene, N., Tatarenkova, O., Fazekas, A., Macias, V., Bier, E., A. A. (2015). Highly efficient Cas9-mediated gene drive for population modification of the malaria vector mosquito, Anopheles stephensi.. PNAS: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 112(49), . National Academy of Sciences. https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.1521077112
Macias, V. M., Coleman, J., Bonizzoni, M., James, A. (2014). piRNA pathway gene expression in the malaria vector mosquito Anopheles stephensi. 5, 579-86. Online: John Wiley and Sons.
James, B. K., Qi, Y., Pledger, D., Macias, V., James, A. A. (2014). Maternal germline-specific genes in the Asian malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi: characterization and application for disease control. G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 5(2), .

Presentations Given

Invited Talk

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), SOVE 8th International Congress, Exploring small RNA biology in transgenic mosquitoes, Society for Vector Ecology, Honolulu, HI, United States of America. (2022 – 2022).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), Texas A&M Entomology Department Weekly Seminar, Expanding molecular genetics for basic and applied studies in mosquito biology, Texas A&M Entomology Department, College Station, TX, United States of America. (2022).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), ESA Southwestern Branch Meeting, Exploring small RNA Biology in transgenic mosquitoes, Entomology Society of America Southwestern Branch, Fort Worth, TX, United States of America. (2022 – 2022).

Macias, V. (Author & Presenter), Biofronteirs Seminar, An Expanded Molecular Toolbox for Genetic Engineering and Control of Mosquito-borne Disease, UNT Department of Biological Sciences, UNT campus, Denton TX, United States of America. (2022 – 2022).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), Penn State Undergraduate Millennium Scholars Program, On Disease Vector Biology, The Pennsylvania State University Millennium Scholars Program, PSU Campus, University Park, PA, United States of America. (2019 – 2019).

Keynote/Plenary Address

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), 50th Annual Meeting of the Texas Genetics Society, Expanding molecular genetics for basic and applied studies in mosquito biology, Texas Genetics Society, Austin, TX, United States of America. (2023 – 2023).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), Beta Beta Beta National Honor Society South Central Region 2022 Convention, Genetic Engineering and Small RNAs in Mosquitoes: On Discovery and Building Effective Tools in the Dark., Beta Beta Beta National Honor Society South Central Region, Cedar Hill, TX, United States of America. (2022 – 2022).

Oral Presentation

Carrell, M. (Author & Presenter), Macias, V. M. (Author), 7th UNT-UAEM Workshop on Integrative Animal Biology, BacKnock in Mosquitoes, AERI, UNT COS, Department of Biological Sciences, NSF, UAEM-Taluca, Mexico, Mexico. (2023 – 2023).

Carrell, M. (Author & Presenter), Macias, V. M. (Author), Environment, Social & Governance (ESG) conference, Growing Sustainably: Partnering for a Resilient Future,, BacKnock: 3 Minute Madness, AERI, UNT EESAT, United States of America. (2023 – 2023).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), Vector Kolymbari Meeting, Exploring the microbial contribution to mosquito small RNAs, Vector Kolymbari Meeting, Kolymbari, Greece, Greece. (2022 – 2022).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), McKeand, S. (Author), Chaverra-Rodriguez, D. (Author), Hughes, G. (Author), Fazekas, A. (Author), Jasinkiene, N. (Author), Pujhari, S. (Author), James, A. A. (Author), Rason, J. L. (Author), Future of Malaria Research Symposium, Cas9-mediated gene-editing in the malaria mosquito Anopheles stephensi by ReMOT Control, Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America. (2019 – 2019).

Panel Presentation

Macias, V. M. (Panelist), Women in Stem Brunch, Women in Stem Brunch, University Program Council, UNT, United States of America. (2022).

Poster

Gaul, C. (Author & Presenter), Macias, V. M. (Author), 7th UNT-UAEM Workshop on Integrative Animal Biology, piRNA Pathway Transgenesis in Adult Yellow Fever Mosquitoes, AERI, UNT COS, UNT Dept of Biol Sci, NSF, UAEM Taluca, Mexico, Mexico. (2023 – 2023).

Tandon, A. (Author & Presenter), Macias, V. M. (Author), Research Day, Fitness assessment of Transgenic Mosquitoes, UNT College of Science, UNT Union, United States of America. (2023 – 2023).

Macias, V. M. (Author & Presenter), McKeand, S. (Author), Chaverra-Rodriguez, D. (Author), Hughes, G. (Author), James, A. (Author), Rasgon, J. L. (Author), Molecular and Population Biology of Mosquitoes and Other Disease Vectors, Heritable Mutagenesis in Anopheles stephensi by Adult injection using ReMOT Control, EMBO, Kolymbari, Greece, Greece. (2019 – 2019).

Media Contributions

Magazine
"Genetically Modified Organisms-Mosquitoes," Science News. (October 23, 2023).

Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research

Grant - Research
Ayre, B. G., McGarry, R. C., Macias, V. M., Horn, P., Shah, J., "A Laser Microdissection System to Enhance Agricultural and Food Research in the North Texas and Southern Oklahoma Region," Sponsored by USDA NIFA Equipment Grants Program, Federal, $341019 Funded. (September 1, 2023 – August 31, 2027).
Macias, V. M., Gregory, A. J., "Establishing effective protocols for microbial enrichment and metagenome sequencing for submission of the grant “Holobiont genomics for exploring the roles of small RNAs in mosquito-microbe communications” to NSF-EDGE-FGT," Sponsored by AERI, University of North Texas, $10000 Funded. (June 1, 2023 – August 30, 2023).
Macias, V. M. (Principal), "Engineering novel piRNA biogenesis in the arboviral vector Aedes aegypti," Sponsored by UNT College of Science, University of North Texas, $9000 Funded. (June 27, 2022 – May 2023).

Service

University Service

Committee Member, Biology Undergraduate Curriculum Committee. (September 19, 2022 – Present).

Committee Member, Faculty Search Committee- Assistant Professor in Cell Biology. (August 26, 2022 – July 2023).

Committee Member, Faculty Search Committee- Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Biochemistry. (November 3, 2021 – May 2021).

Professional Service

Reviewer, Journal Article, G3. (January 19, 2023).

Reviewer, Journal Article, G3. (September 27, 2022).

Reviewer, Journal Article, mBio - ASM Journals - American Society for Microbiology. (June 25, 2022).

Reviewer, Journal Article, PLOS Genetics. (March 28, 2022).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Qeios. (September 1, 2021 – September 9, 2021).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Frontiers in Genetics. (December 1, 2020 – December 8, 2020).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Insect Molecular Biology. (September 21, 2020 – September 28, 2020).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Journal of Medical Entomology. (September 21, 2020 – September 21, 2020).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Applied Sciences. (January 21, 2019 – January 28, 2019).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Insects. (November 1, 2018 – December 8, 2018).

Reviewer, Journal Article, PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases. (October 15, 2018 – October 22, 2018).

Reviewer, Journal Article, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. (May 24, 2017 – May 31, 2017).